The cavern's ceiling was obscured by shadows as it loomed before them. The uneven stone glowed eerily with dim blue crystals that protruded from the walls.
This place felt... stable, in contrast to the moving tunnels behind them. The air, however, was still heavy with an invisible substance.
Kael's pulse slowed as he looked about. As though restrained by some invisible power, the wraiths had halted at the threshold. That indicated the presence of something they were afraid of.
Reiner rolled his shoulders and straightened. He still had irregular breathing, but he did a good job of masking it. "No one is harmed?"
Luthen grimaced, flexing his shoulder where the ghost had grabbed him. "It's nothing serious."
With a silent curse and a pout, Sera examined her bow. "My arrows went straight through them unless I struck their core. We were lucky to have escaped."
With his fingers clenched on the Abyssal Fang Dagger, Kael remained silent. It had reacted once more. Like the Shadow Maw before it, the wraith he had struck with the dagger had been absorbed. But there was no time to think about it now.
Oris steadied his hold on his stick while glancing around the tunnel walls. "This place… doesn't feel like the others. It's almost like a sealed chamber."
Reiner frowned. "You believe this to be a dead end?"
"Not necessarily," Oris said. "look at the ground."
Kael's gaze followed. The dungeon tunnels were rough, but the stone beneath them was smoother. Complex patterns of faint lines that have been almost completely destroyed by time are barely discernible in the low light.
They were Runes... Older ones.
Mira knelt down to run her fingers over the faded patterns and remarked, "Something was here before us." She knitted her brow. "And whatever it was, it left something behind."
Through the cavern echoed a low thrum and everyone stiffened.
Kael took the first step, heading for the middle of the chamber. Beneath him, the patterns pulsed faintly, as though they were reacting to him. In response, a silent hum reverberated through his bones as his primal energy stirred in return.
Then— The air cracked.
The ground in front of them was split by a sharp crack of deep violet energy that sliced through the stone like a wound in reality itself. A rift.
The group immediately retreated.
"What the hell—" Luthen began, but was interrupted as the earth gave way beneath the rift, exposing a pitch-black emptiness below.
Something started to rise from the abyss.
A hand...
Pure abyssal mist swirling into a huge clawed form with no flesh. Something bigger was drawn from the depths below by the fingers, it abnormally stretched and gripped on the rift's edges.
There was a deep growl in the darkness, and then it came out.
A tall shadowy entity whose body was somewhat humanoid but was constantly changing. It had no features save for two blazing white eyes, which were more conscious than the wraiths' but nonetheless empty.
The system notification then appeared.
— [System Alert!] —
[Feral Abyssborn – Lvl 10]
Status: Unstable Manifestation
—
Kael felt a knot in his stomach.
Level 10.
This was no ordinary creature. Something else was involved. Something connected to the actual abyss. It was staring right at him, too.
Through the cavern slithered a low, twisted whisper. "You… are not one of them."
Then it moved. Faster than something of its size should be able to.
It pounced at him, its clawed fist slamming out like a spear before Kael could even react. The stone where he had stood cracked, he turned, narrowly escaping the attack.
Dust and debris were sent flying into the air by the impact alone.
"Spread out!" Reiner gave the order, smoothly drawing his blade out of its sheath. While Mira and Oris were getting their spells ready, Luthen and Sera were already on the move, flanking the creature's sides.
Kael didn't think twice. With his dagger blazing, he charged forward, aiming for the core of the Abyssborn.
The blade sank into the mist-like body... and went straight through.
Kael's gaze narrowed. It lacked a physical form. Wraiths might be wounded by his knife, but this one was unique. It was more powerful.
The head of the Abyssborn swiveled in his direction. "Interesting."
Then its arm swung out, slamming into Kael. He barely managed to lift his arm in time, but the impact sent him flying back. Pain flared through his ribs as he collided with the tunnel wall.
However, something else happened. The primal energy within him responded as soon as the Abyssborn's strike made contact. He felt a rush of heat that nearly immediately made the discomfort go away.
— [Abyssal Endurance Activated] —
His eyes immediately refocused. Even though his wounds weren't healing quickly, the ability kept him going by dulling the damage.
Kael forced himself to stand, already contemplating what to do next.
"Kael!" Mira called out. "Are you—?"
"Fine." He cut her off, his gaze fixed on the Abyssborn. "Physical attacks are ineffective."
Reiner cursed. "How in hell do we kill it then?"
"Oris stepped forward, his staff glowing faintly. "If it's an unstable manifestation, then it's still tied to the rift." He spoke in a cool, collected tone. "That connection needs to be severed."
Mira's eyes lit up with realization. "The runes. The ones that are on the ground, something was being sealed by them."
Kael's mind worked fast. 'There's only one conclusion to be drawn from the markings, the rift, and the wraiths' hesitation to enter the room. It was not intended for this creature to be present. Its sleep had most likely been disturbed by something. Something within me.'
Kael's jaw tightened. "I'll divert it."
Reiner gave him a glance. "Are you sure?"
"There is no time for arguments." Kael had his dagger ready and his stance lowered. "You deal with the runes."
The Abyssborn watched him. Its eyes flickered with something almost familiar, and its shifting form pulsed. "You carry our mark," it murmured. "Yet you resist the call."
Kael ignored its ramblings. At the moment, they had no meaning. Killing it was the only thing that mattered the most.
He moved.
He dashed forward, swerving to the left and then to the right, narrowly avoiding another devastating claw blow. Although the beast was swift, Kael outpaced it. He kept its focus solely on him, swerving between its attacks.
Oris and Mira were already working behind him, making bright lines on the faded runes.
Reiner whispered, clutching his weapon, "Hurry." He waited for an opening, while Luthen stayed on the periphery.
Kael saw an opportunity. The Abyssborn retreated, ready to strike again with a devastating force.
Kael charged at it, stepping into the path of the blow rather than avoiding it. He dodged at the last second, slipping beneath its extended arm. He sliced with his blade as he went beneath its body, not to injure but to disrupt.
The blade gave a pulse.
The Abyssborn whirled about, and for the first time, its form wavered, losing cohesion for a moment.
Oris caught sight of it. "Now!"
Mira crushed the runes with her palm. The whole cavern trembled. Now gleaming with golden light, the runes pulsed once, then burst into flames.
A blast of pure energy surged upward, slamming into the Abyssborn's shifting form. The creature screamed, its body flickering violently.
Kael was thrown backward by a shockwave before he could even react. His eyes were fixed on the beast as he landed in a crouch.
Behind it, the rift began to collapse.
"No—" The Abyssborn's voice has become weaker and distorted. "This… is not… the end…"
As the rift closed, its form unfurled and vanished into nothing with a last screech.
Silence.
Then—
———
[System Alert!]
[You have absorbed abyssal essence from an Unstable Manifestation, Lvl 10 Abyssborn]
[Essence Absorbed: +155 EXP]
[Blood Points: +2]
[Experience Points: 825/1300 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: 63.5%]
[New Ability Unlocked: Abyssal Pulse – A burst of unstable abyssal energy, repelling lesser abyssal beings]